Submarine mine.



G. E. ELIA.

SUBMARI NE MINE. APPLICATION mum 11.9, 1912.,

Patented Apr. 1,1913.

'll M q IN VENToR Giovanni Emanuele Elia BY WITNESSES ATTORNEYS foivrrnnSTATES Pagans orrion GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, F PARIS, rRaNcn.

SUBMARINE MINE.

- :To all whom may concern f Be it known that I, GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA;of Hotelv de Crillon, Place de la Concorde, Paris,- in the FrenchRepublic, have invented certainv new and useful Improve- ;ments inSubmarine Mines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to submarine mines which are automaticallyexploded when struck by a ship.

According to this invention the spring controlled striker is connectedto the anchoring drawing in which Flgure 1 IS an axial section of thepercus ing device in such a manner that its movements relativelytheretoare controlled by a movable arm which, on the mine being struck,is so moved as to allow the striker to be "automatically cocked and thenreleased to cause explosion of the mine.

The invention will be more particularly described with reference to theaccompanysion mechanism of the mine. Fig. 2 is a partial section on theline 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a general view of the mine.

Achamber b is arranged in the interior of a sphere as; this chamber maybe in the shape of a cone and toits apex there is fixed tube 0 in whicha cartridge 03 provided #Qfwith a detonator e is arranged. The cartridged is supported by a cylinder f screwed into orotherwise rigidlyconnected to a frame (1 fixed to the hollow sphere a.

A piston h adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder 7' carries a strikerz' -and a spring j bearing on a collar 7': in the cylinder 7' controlsthe striker. The striker rod m is pro- 'vided with a reduced portion aending in a head .0 and this head is imprisoned by the claws p p pivotedto a common'pivot carried by a rod 7'' to which a shackle s is fixed forsecuring the anchoring cable.

The heads 2 of the claws p p are adapted to slide in the lower part ofthe cylinder f, which maintains them in the position illustrated in thedrawing, while a spring t constantly tends to separate the claws fromeach other.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ing into the lugs of its support- The inner' end 1; of the arm 0 Q).then prevents the collar 2/ from protruding from the mine and maintainsall the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, thespring j. not beingcocked.

lVhen the mine is immersed, the anchoring. cable attached to the shackle8 holds the mine at the desired depth, acting through the collar or onthe inner end 1) of the lever 11, o. lVhcn the mine has been immersedfor a certain time, the block 3 and the sal ammonia'c pin 3 dissolve(Fig. 2), the key a: is withdrawn by the action of the spring or, andthe arm -v, '2) extends under the action of the spring 41 and is then insuch aposition that it is free to oscillate on the pivot z. a

If a ship should strike the mine, the mine is caused to rotate about itsvertical axis by friction against the ships hull and in this rotationthe extensible arm '0' a being stopped by the ships hull, pivots aboutits axis Its inner end a then escapes from the collar w and the minetends to rise owing to its buoyancy. Accordingly the sphere a and theparts connected therewith ascend while all the parts integral with therod '2' remain at the same depth. This relative moi'ement cocks thespring while the claws '7) slide in the lower part of the cylinder llhenthe heads 2 of these claws pass beyond the lower edge of the cylinder;they separate under the influence of the spring t and release the head 0of the striker which, owing to t le release of its spring j, strikes thedetonator e and explodes the mine.

The advantages are as follows :-'-This mine is simple in constructionand comprises a small number of parts, thereby rendering it certain inits operation and reducing its cost. The provision of a striker which iscocked only by the passage of a ship, that is to say when the mineshould become oper- Patented Apr; 1', 1913. Application filed January 9,1912. Serial No. 670,176.

ative, affords increased security in manipnlating the mineand."prein'ants fatigue of the. spring of the .st-riker. i "Theoperation is ef fected by the "action of mechanical parts and ofthebuoyancy .of the'mine, in such a manner that if the mine is notanchored it presentsno danger to navigation. The position describedmight be reversed, that is to say the extensible arm might be arrangedat the upper .part of the mine, although the arrangement described ispreferable in View of thegreatersimplicity of t-heconstruction.

The explosive charge'might be arranged atvv the upper part, of the mineinstead of occu'- pying the lower part, as in thej-example illustrated,Thefsubm'arine mine embodying the invention may beheld stationary. by abeam a'nchored'to the sea bottom, or it maybe utilized as a floatingmine." 1 v Having now particularly, described and ascertained the natureof my said invention and in what-manner the same is to be performed, Ideclarethat What'I claim 'is 1. Ina -submarine mine; a receptacle forreceiving an explosivemixture, a tank sur' roundingand supporting saidreceptacle so as to cause the same to float, a-cap-receiving device, areciprocating pin adapted to strike said cap and explode the same, meansfor normally holding said pin against movement including a contact arm,and means for forcing said pin against said cap when said contact armhas been moved in respect to ,said.

tank I 2. In an automatically operating; submarine mine, a tanjk forcausing the mine to mine at any "desired depth, a" pivotally M float, ananchordevice arranged to hold the mounted contact arm arranged to have afree pivotal movement iuirespect to said tank;

whereby when a ship strikes said tank and rotates the same, said armwill he held stationary, areciprocating member normally supported bysaid arm and released'when said arm has been rotated in respect to saidtank, a spring brought undertension by the vmovement of saidreciprocating member,- a

a pin actuated by said spring'when the same.

has been released,r1eans for releasing said spring when the same hasbeen brought under "a predetermined tension, and means for containing anexplosive mixture includmg av detonating cap.

3. In an automatic submarine mine, a

float, a cartridge receptacle mounted in said float designed to containa (*artriLlge-and a cap therefor, a firing-pin adapted to strike saidcap, a sleeve formed with an abutment, a spring arranged in the sleeveand bearing 1 at one endagainst said abutment 'and at the I opposite endagainst s'aid'ipin forv normallyprojecting beneath I said anchoring vattachment whereby the float is connected with the anchoring. attachment-and said pawls are held inengagement with-said pin until said arm hasbeen moved 'out'of'engagement with said anchoring attachment whereuponsaid float'rvill move upwardly and said 'anch0rmg attachment willremainsubstantiallys tationary, result-ing in a longitudinal movement of saidpin against said spring,"said movement continuinguntil said 'pavv'lshave been moved out of said sleeve and .conse quently disengaged fromsaid pin for permitting the pin to move underthe action of said springagainst said 'cap.-'

4. In an automatic submarine mine, a-

float, means .forconnecting the mine with an anchor, means for;containing an explosive substance arrangedfl'n the float, mechanismarranged adjacent said explosive substance" for causing the explosionthereof when actuated, an arm pivotally mounted on said iflqat andnormally engagingthe means engaging said anchor whereby the float isheld from said arm for locking-the same rigidly against rotation wherebysaid anchor and said float are positively locked together, a springactingi'cin. saidv locking pin for tendlng'to disconnect thesamefromsaid arm, and a'block of soluble material arranged in the path of'moyement ofsaid .pin for preventing the spring from disconnecting thelocking pin from said arm until the soluble material has been dissolvedby the water'whereby the device is positively locked during theoperaticn of placing thesame and automatically unlocked by the action ofthe water on the soluble material, said float being adapted to be turnedfreely upon being struck by a ship rising and said'mechanism is heldfrom. operation, a locking pin extending through independently of saidarm resulting in the 3 releasii ig of said mechanism and a consequentexplosion ofsaid explosive substance.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto placed my hand at London, Englandthis fifteenth day of'December 1911.

GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

In the presence of two Witnesses:

'EUsTAcn' H. BARKER, ARTHUR'T. VVAGHORN.

